[Press Release] Molecular phylogeny of a parasitic isopod family Cymothoidae

Parasitic isopods of the family Cymothoidae may be one of the most familiar fish parasites particularly to fishermen. Cymothoid isopods are distributed in diverse aquatic environments from freshwater to deep sea with various parasitic modes (fish mouth, gill, skin, and body cavity). Their evolutionary diversification process is, however, still largely unknown. Assist. Prof. Ryota Kawanishi (Section of Integrated Environmental Science) and his collaborators of Ehime University, Hirosaki University, and Research Institute for Humanity and Nature conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses by collecting cymothoids and related species from across the world. They found a possibility that a common ancestor of Cymothoidae originated from the deep sea and expanded to shallower habitats. They also revealed at least two independent origins of freshwater lineages in the family. This research outcome is published in Marine Biology.

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Research Press Release (PDF)